Via Lucille and Mitt.

If you’ve ever dreamed of chicken dancing (that is, provocative “chicken” style dancing, as featured on Arrested Development) your way to stardom, dream no longer. Fox is currently filming a new season of the brilliant, yet misunderstood situation comedy Arrested Development — yes, that show you spend too much time rewatching on Netflix instead of looking for jobs. New episodes are due out next year – and creator Mitch Hurwitz wants to feature “walk-ons” from mega-fans.  But how do you gain a coveted spot in the annals of television history?!?  It’s actually pretty simple: (more…)

Moe lying, mo problems.

I’m going to tell it to you straight: the world is full of liars and cheats. Your boss who told you that you were “getting a promotion”?  Knave. Your wife who said she “definitely wasn’t having an affair” with your best friend? Scoundrel.  Your landlord who told you that she “fixed” the stairs? Lies, lies and more lies! Wouldn’t it be satisfying if you could take down these double-talkers once and for all? Well, now there’s a cheap way (we think?) to deal with all the cheaters, liars, and swindlers who populate this godforsaken borough: a Groupon for a lie-detecting class! (more…)

Lights and almost action at Barlcays Center today. Photo by Tim.

As many residents of Brooklyn will tell you, the Barclays Center has had a rocky relationship with the local community.  First, they bulldozed one of the top 10 bars in America. Then they fought a widely criticized battle against selling late night booze.  But that’s all history! Now that the new Nets complex is only 10 days away from its grand opening, Ratner and his pals are hoping to erase some bad memories (and win over some bitter enemies) with a ticket giveaway to events and games for local civic-minded organizations. (more…)

Corn! Ain’t nothing wrong with that.

I’ll be the first person to admit that I love corn. Sweet corn, corn on the cob, cornbread – you name it. I even smoked a corncob pipe briefly during college (not technically made of corn, but still). So if you’re like me and want to taste New York state’s best maize while supporting a good cause, then the folks at the Brooklynauts have a corn-centric event that promises to be a proper kickoff to the harvest season.

This Sunday, the Brooklynauts are hosting the first annual Kings County Corn Bowl at TBD in Greenpoint to honor “nature’s most versatile vegetable with a seasonal celebration of music, moonshine, prizes and food.” A ticket buys you access to corn-based dishes from a dozen local competitive chefs, live music, a chance to win prizes and a cornhole tournament, all to benefit the foodbank. But we’ve got two pairs of tickets to giveaway! (more…)

The author in all his slurring victory last month.

Have you ever wanted to impress your friends with your spelling abilities, but don’t know where to begin with words like “glossophobia” (n. fear of public speaking) without suffering from “cephalalgia” (n,, a headache)?The comedy duo of Billy Parker and Mandy Levy (Billy Hot Chocolate and Supermandy) have a solution to make you feel better about your spelling problems: lots of booze. Levy and Parker are the hosts of the Slurring Bee, a monthly party the last Tuesday of every month (this month’s edition is tonight) at Last Exit that gives mediocre spellers (like me) the chance to redeem themselves. (more…)

You coulda been a plumber! Instead you went to MIT.

You’ve yearned to join the ranks of countless presidents, Supreme Court justices and Nobel laureates, but lacked the grades or money. Now it’s time to break out your button-down collar and penny-less loafers and celebrate. Yesterday, two of the fanciest schools in all the land —Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — jointly announced the launch of edX, a new online initiative aimed at bringing their otherwise expensive classes to the masses free of charge starting this fall. The program is an outgrowth of MITx, an online learning project launched by MIT last December.

MIT President Anant Agarwal said the goal of the $60 million edX initiative is to “educate a billion people around the world” through an open source online platform, which, little does he know, could include you sitting naked and drunk at your computer at 3am screaming lines from Good Will Hunting at your screen. (more…)

If you’ve ever wanted to experience life in a ghost town (honestly, who hasn’t?) but don’t have patience or time to travel, the good people at the experimental theater company Ugly Rhino Productions are bringing a ghost town to Brooklyn. Starting tomorrow (March 2) and running every Friday for four weeks at the Brooklyn Lyceum, Ugly Rhino will present “Centralia: A Nice Place to Live,“ a play about a real-life Mordor in the midst of the Middle Earth that is Pennsylvania. Since it’s experimental, admission includes six signature cocktails to pull you deeper into the story. And the best part for Brokelyn readers?  You get $5 off the price of the $25 admission for the shows tomorrow (3/2) and March 9 when you mention Brokelyn at the Centralia box office!

Background on Centralia: An underground mine fire began raging in 1962, and a network of old mines kept firefighters from putting it out. The fire continues to burn today. Almost of the residents fled when the government condemned the town, but nine hearty souls remained, and they’re the subjects of the play. (more…)

From last year's Phil Collins parade. Via Flickr's Your Secret Admiral.

If there’s one thing Phil Collins knows, it’s heartbreak. The man who brought you hi-fi hits like “I Can’t Dance,” “Easy Lover,” and “Sussiudio”, recently sustained a series of injuries that forced him to retire from music in 2011.  But hope is still alive, Phil-istines: Phil Collins Day is almost here! Tomorrow (Feb. 15) marks the sixth annual Phil Collins Day, an entire day dedicated to the former Genesis drummer turned megastar. Last year, people paraded through the streets of Greenpoint to his music.

This year, the tone is more reflective: Organizer Heather Feather has set up a confessional booth at 60 Freeman St. in Greenpoint for people to record their anonymous “confessions of love, loss, hurt, obsession, and degradation.” At the end of the day, all recorded footage will be mailed to the man himself, with hopes that he can start working on songs to comfort us through our own relationship pain. (more…)

The year is only two weeks young, but if you’re at all like me then your New Year’s resolutions are probably starting to fall apart faster than an episode of Two Broke Girls. But never fear, brokesters! Today is a great day to follow through on your goal of being more involved in the community with this huge free event at BAM. Starting at 10:30am, Borough President Marty Markowitz presents BAM’s 26th Annual Brooklyn Tribute to MLK, Jr. with “Come Share the Dream,” the largest public celebration of the great leader in New York City. It includes musical performances by Toshi Reagon, BIGLovely and The Institutional Radio Choir C.O.G.I.C., plus a free screening of The Black Power Mixtape, 1967-1975, a documentary featuring rare footage and interviews of Black Power leaders. First come, first seated. One ticket per person (show starts at 1). (more…)

If you’re caught up in last minute holiday shopping and find your yuletide spirit slowly turning into yuletide rage, the good folks at the recently opened De Luxe in Park Slope have a little something to pick you back up. Starting today and running through Christmas day, mention Brokelyn and you get a free small coffee! It’s not just regular coffee, either: their Doma Coffee is made of organic, fair-trade trade beans from around the world. De Luxe also has sandwiches, pastries and a selection of tea (the smoked black tea is my favorite). Swing by, and tell em Brokelyn sent you.

De Luxe, 410 Seventh Ave. (between 13th and 14th streets).